Back in the 1990s, the late great Stan Lee cameoed in Smith’s rom-com Mallrats. And fans will notice that it was that film’s script Lee was reading and practising lines from in Captain Marvel’s LA train scene. Of course, this was the perfect reference since Mallrats was released in 1995 when Captain Marvel is set, so that’s what Lee – who lived in LA – would have been up at that time in his life. Now Smith, who is a huge Marvel fan too, has shared a teary Instagram post responding to such an honour.

The 48-year-old’s post read: “Just saw @captainmarvelofficial.

“I am a blubbering mess. After a lifetime spent referencing the movies, the movies just referenced me!

“Many thanks to @marvelstudios, #ryanfleck, #annabodin, and to my friend @therealstanlee for the cinematic shout-out!

“But if I’m now part of the @marvelUniverse, I have only one question: Did I survive The Snap?”

Lee’s Mallrats cameo saw him give Jason Lee’s Brodie romance advice.

In the Captain Marvel train scene he was practising his line, “Trust me, true believer” from one of the movie’s most iconic scenes.

Lee, who died in November last year, was also honoured right at the beginning of Captain Marvel.

The Marvel Studios logo featured a collage of many of his MCU cameos over the years before a thank you message appeared on the screen.

Avengers Endgame director Joe Russo has also confirmed Lee managed to film a cameo for next month’s Marvel epic, although it’s unknown if one was shot for Spider-Man Far From Home.

Prior to Lee’s death, Russo told the BBC that they shot his cameos in one day for Ant-Man and the Wasp and Avengers Endgame since they were shooting on the same lot.

While he obviously isn’t around to shoot future MCU cameos, the Marvel legend can be referenced through pictures and footage – just as he was in last year’s Deadpool 2.

Captain Marvel is out now and Avengers Endgame will be released in UK cinemas on April 25, 2019.